Picklescan is vulnerable to RCE through missing detection when calling built-in python operator.methodcaller
Published Jul 4, 2026 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Original summary
Normalized public record · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Picklescan is vulnerable to RCE through missing detection when calling built-in python operator.methodcaller
Publisher and source text is retained separately from QFinch interpretation.
QFinch assessment
Picklescan uses operator.methodcaller, which is a built-in python library function to execute remote pickle files.
Potential impact
Any organization or individual relying on picklescan to detect malicious pickle files inside PyTorch models. Attackers can embed malicious code in pickle file that remains undetected but executes when the pickle file is loaded. Attackers can distribute infected pickle files across ML models, APIs, or saved Python objects.
Technical context
The attack payload executes in the following steps: - First, the attacker crafts the payload by calling the operator.methodcaller function in method reduce. - Then, when the victim checks whether the pickle file is safe using the Picklescan library and this library doesn't detect any dangerous functions, they decide to use pickle.load() on this malicious pickle file, thus leading to remote code execution.
Evidence: public source recordsAffected products
| Affected package, product or range | Fix status |
|---|---|
| Consult the referenced vendor advisory for affected versions. | Consult source advisory |
Matching a version is only one part of assessing exposure. QFinch has not assessed your environment on this public page.
Remediation
Apply the vendor-supported fixed release or mitigation, then verify the affected component is no longer reachable.
- Confirm the affected product and reachable code path exist in your environment.
- Apply the vendor-supported patch or mitigation from the primary advisory.
- Rescan the exact deployed revision and retain verification evidence.
Evidence coverage
- SSVC priority
- MEDIUM
- Confidence
- Not available
- Aliases
- None reported
Scores appear only when corresponding evidence exists. Missing data is never interpreted as zero risk.
Sources and record history
- Security advisory ↗
- VulnCheck Advisory: picklescan - Remote Code Execution via operator.methodcaller Detection Bypass ↗
Record history
Published Jul 4, 2026 · Last refreshed Nov 3, 2026